Seamus Callanan led by example as Tipperary battled to a 2-16 to 1-11 victory over 14-man Clare at wet and windy Thurles.
With 8,217 in attendance at a full-blooded encounter played in unforgiving conditions, the Tipp captain bagged a match-winning personal tally of 2-7, the goals coming close together in the 50th and 52nd minutes. The industrious Drom-Inch man also won his side two penalties – his first-half effort was saved by Donal Tuohy and he elected to pop his second over the bar late in the second half.
The Banner County will feel rightly aggrieved over the harsh 44th-minute dismissal of former Hurler of the Year Tony Kelly; they trailed by just five points when the Ballyea clubman picked up a straight red for colliding with home sweeper Padraic Maher, who was named as Man of the Match.
With the strong wind behind them, Tipp - who lost Jason Forde prior to throw-in - amassed a seven-points advantage by the interval, 0-13 to 1-3, with Callanan stroking over five frees to atone for Tuohy’s excellent stop from his fiercely-struck third-minute penalty. Vice-captain Noel McGrath also impressed in the first half, scoring three times, while Jake Morris banged over a couple and Alan Flynn hit a screamer from distance.
The visitors were handed a potential lifeline seven minutes from the break when Niall Deasy blasted a penalty low to the Tipp net. Colin Guilfoyle had pointed but played was brought back for a penalty…
Podge Collins, Peter Duggan and Colm Galvin were all sprung from the Clare bench for the second half and they looked briefly reinvigorated but their chances effectively went up in smoke when Kelly was sent to the line. Brian Hogan was sharp in the Tipp goal late on to deny Clare twice, executing a particularly fine save to thwart Collins.
Tipperary - B Hogan; C Barrett, Padraic Maher, D Maher; A Flynn (0-1), R Maher, B Heffernan; M Breen (0-1), R Byrne (0-1); D McCormack, N McGrath (0-3, 1sl), Patrick Maher; W Connors (0-1), S Callanan (2-7, 0-6f), J Morris (0-2). Subs: M Kehoe for N McGrath, J O'Dwyer for J Morris, N O'Meara for D McCormack, K O'Dwyer for D Maher, C Darcy for R Byrne.
Clare - D Tuohy; J McCarthy, D McInerney, J Browne; A McCarthy, C Cleary, C Malone; S Golden, T Kelly (0-2, 1sl); D Ryan; N Deasy (1-1, 1-0pen, 0-1f), R Taylor; C Guilfoyle, J Conlon (0-1), M O'Neill. Subs: P Collins (0-1) for M O'Neill, C Galvin for J McCarthy, P Duggan (0-4, 3f, 1'65) for N Deasy, M O'Malley (0-2, 1f, 1'65) for R Taylor, I Galvin for J Conlon.
Referee - C Lyons.
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